Dancing With The Stars Is Getting A Major Hosting Shakeup
Tom Bergeron was known for hosting "America's Funniest Home Videos" and "Dancing With the Stars," the latter show for the first 28 seasons. Sports reporter Erin Andrews started out as a contestant during Season 10 of the show, and made her co-hosting debut during Season 18, per Good Housekeeping. In 2020, it was revealed that the two hosts were "fired" and replaced by supermodel Tyra Banks because the show needed to "continue to evolve," per People.
"I'm having a really, really good time on 'Dancing With the Stars'" Banks told late night talk show host James Corden in October 2020. "It's bananas. I'll be changing clothes, and there's dancing and people flipping, and going home. It's fun."
The "America's Next Top Model" host hasn't gotten great reviews with her new hosting job, though. According to Heavy, throughout the two seasons of hosting "Dancing With the Stars," fans were fed up with Banks' over-the-top outfits, the way she seemingly rushed the judges' comments, and how she handled eliminations. Banks was also slammed with criticism for the way she handled Suni Lee's illness and a confusing elimination mix up. Once fans petitioned to remove Tyra Banks, "Dancing With the Stars" needed to figure something out quickly so they wouldn't lose viewers.
Dancing With the Stars looks to a past winner for a co-host
Alfonso Ribeiro seems to be the go-to guy to replace Tom Bergeron in hosting television shows. Good Morning America announced that the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" star — who took over Bergeron's spot as the host for "America's Funniest Home Videos" — will be hosting alongside Tyra Banks for the upcoming season of the dance competition show. Ribeiro wants to bring the entertainment into the ballroom, just like he did in his Season 19 Jazz routine as he did the famous Carlton dance from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
"I'm super excited," Ribeiro told People this morning before the announcement. "My goal is to bring back a sense of the happy and the fun, and the family atmosphere, that this show has always felt like for me. I want to become friends with all of the contestants this year, and allow myself to kind of be able to really just sit and talk with them."
Ribeiro won Season 19 of "Dancing With the Stars" with his pro-dancer partner Witney Carson, per ABC. The "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" alum got teary-eyed and said, "I've wanted it forever ... I don't even know what to say. These are happy tears" when he was announced as the winner. According to Deadline, Seasons 31 and 32 will be airing on Disney+ rather than ABC. The cast for the new season will be announced on "Good Morning America" on September 8.